


Green and Silver

by lilacsuns (Milival)



Category: NCT, NCT 127 - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Discussion of the House System, Flashbacks, Friendship, Getting Together, Hogwarts Inter-House Friendships, Hogwarts Inter-House Relationships, M/M, Minor Bullying, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-31 20:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21151811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milival/pseuds/lilacsuns
Summary: Jaehyun and Jungwoo are an unusual pair, two of the most unusual Slytherins around. Which means that they're obviously the most qualified of their friends when their youngest friend starts doubting his house.Prompt #S085





	Green and Silver

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo hi
> 
> This has been kind of a struggle from beginning to end for me, because of many reasons, but I'm so glad I went out of my comfort zone, because this was a really great exercise and I grew a lot while writing this fic, so I'm really happy I took part in this fest! It's my first one, and the first time I write for this pairing, so I hope it won't be too bad, and to whoever prompted it, I really hope I did your idea justice, because it was an amazing prompt and I love it so much!!
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope y'all will enjoy uwu

As much as Ten complained about having to climb too many stairs to access the Ravenclaw common room, he didn’t mind it that much once he was sitting in one of their comfiest armchairs, bickering with Doyoung next to him. They were an unusual bunch; a group of eleven friends from all ages and different houses. People had been wary at first—teachers mostly, a few of their housemates, too. Five Slytherins, three Hufflepuffs, two Ravenclaws and a Gryffindor were bound to cause trouble. And they did, sometimes, when Ten and Donghyuck managed to convince them. Jeno was the key because if Jeno was in, so was Doyoung. Everybody trusted Doyoung. So yeah, they’d done some pretty dumb stuff, but they were mostly harmless. They usually didn’t even get in that much trouble. The reasonable ones of the group made sure of it. Most of their time together was spent in one of the common rooms, talking or playing games. 

Which was what they were doing that Sunday afternoon. They’d met in Kun and Doyoung’s common room after struggling only twelve minutes to solve the riddle, and they were now lounging on a few couches and armchairs. Donghyuck had convinced Jeno, his boyfriend, as well as Johnny and Taeyong to help him do his homework. Chenle was talking with Kun, both of them speaking Mandarin in hushed tones, in their own little bubble. Jisung had been quiet for a while, nervously tapping his fingers on the armrest of the couch he sat on next to Jungwoo and Jaehyun. 

-_ Are you okay? _ Jungwoo asked softly after a while, taking the youngest’s hand in his.

\- _ Yeah, sorry. _

\- _ What’s bothering you ? You’ve been quiet the whole day. _

\- _ Some guys in my house made a comment earlier and I’ve just… been thinking about it a lot. _

\- _ Do we need to talk to them ? _ Jaehyun joined in, brows furrowed. _ If they’re bullying you, we can do something about it, we’ve done it before. _

\- _ You have? _ Jisung asked, surprised.

\- _ Oh yeah. You weren’t here yet. Last year, when Jeno and Hyuck started dating some Hufflepuffs went after Jen, we had to intervene. _

\- _ Why? _

  


—————— 

_ Jeno had been weird for days now. They’d all picked up on it,, but nobody knew what was wrong. Not even Donghyuck. They’d tried to get him to talk, sending their two best candidates _ — _ Jeno’s boyfriend, of course, and Doyoung, who was the closest he had to a brother. Both had come back empty-handed, with an angry Jeno now ignoring them. It had lasted a whole week, during which none of them heard or saw him at all. Until Ten and Jungwoo had stumbled upon a group of four or five boys, throwing insults at a silent and scared Jeno. As soon as they’d stepped in front of him to tell off the idiots who were bothering him, they’d run away, and as soon as they were alone Jeno had broken into tears, sliding down the wall until he was sitting on the floor with his face hidden behind his knees. Jungwoo had taken care of him while Ten rushed to get Doyoung and Donghyuck. The whole group held an impromptu gathering the same night. This time, Jeno told them about the bullies. He was getting comments from his housemates because he was dating a Slytherin. Apparently, some people still thought that they were evil. Donghyuck had gotten really mad, until Jeno had started crying again. He explained how bad and lonely he’d been feeling for weeks, and the younger boy rushed to his side to dry his tears. The rest of the group (at least the older members) had decided that something had to be done to make sure the boys left their friend alone. _

_ To almost everyone’s surprise, Jungwoo acted the fastest. Before they even had a full plan, he’d already handled things. He’d asked people he knew about the kids and their families, anything really that could be used as blackmail material. He’d caught them after a class, coming up to them with one of his big smiles. He called them out on their actions, taking every student from that class as witnesses. Jeno had stood there, watching his friend threaten them while looking almost angelic. The Slytherin had made sure that they understood that they needed to stop harassing Jeno, assuring them there would be consequences if they ever tried to do something like that again. The young Hufflepuff had told his friends the next day that they didn’t need a plan anymore. He’d spent five minutes insisting that Jungwoo had looked so intimidating and serious that for a minute, even he had been scared. The blond had simply nodded with a proud smile, and the bullies had left Jeno alone. _

_ When Chenle had asked how he’d done it, curiosity evident in his eyes, Jungwoo had shrugged, telling him that being nice to people was useful to get information, and for the first time since he’d met him just a few weeks ago he had understood why the older boy was a Slytherin. He’d learned that same day that he never wanted to get on Jungwoo’s bad side. _

—————

They’d all joined the conversation at some point during the story, sitting closer together in a circle as they exchanged anecdotes and stories from their years at Hogwarts. Jeno had never liked talking about that time. Since he was cuddled against his boyfriend, face nestled in his neck, the others assumed he felt better about it. Jisung seemed to be doing a bit better too, his frown not as deep as before, and his hands no longer twitching nervously. Jungwoo still hadn’t let go of him, his thumb rubbing softly at the younger’s hand as they talked. 

He explained what his housemates had said; how they’d made fun of him for being shy and kind of introverted, saying he didn’t have what it took to be a Gryffindor. It had always been something he’d felt insecure about, they all knew it. Ever since he’d gotten sorted into this house on his first day of school he’d doubted it, thinking that he might have been more suited to Hufflepuff. Hearing others say it had only made his insecurities worse. 

\- _ You know, when Woo and I got sorted in Slytherin a lot of people doubted that choice, too, _ Jaehyun said suddenly. _ The first time I met him, I honestly thought it was a mistake, that he should’ve been a Hufflepuff too. _

\- _ Really? Why? _

\- _ Because stereotype _ s, Jungwoo answered, chuckling. _ Same reason those people in your house think you’re not a suited Gryffindor. It’s really dumb, but a lot of people stick to those. _

\- _ And Jaehyun was dumb, because Woo’s such a Slytherin _ , Ten added with a smirk. _ I still can’t believe you thought he was a Hufflepuff. _

\- _ In my defense, I was young and stupid. _

\- _ You really were… _ Kun sighed.

————— 

_ Jaehyun had met Jungwoo in his second year at Hogwarts. The younger was a new student, still a bit new to the castle, but acted like he knew everyone. He was already familiar with half of the students. They had bumped into each other in a deserted corner of the library one Sunday afternoon. The bright smile and nice words Jungwoo had directed at him had made Jaehyun curious about the boy. _

_ At first, he’d thought the boy was a Ravenclaw, because he was carrying a stack of books that looked older than their teachers, with much too-complicated titles . He’d assumed he was like some Ravenclaws he knew, who wanted to read every book in the library by the time they graduated, and that it was the reason why he was carrying so many at once. _

_ But the next time he’d seen Jungwoo, a few weeks later in the Great Hall, he was hanging out with Johnny and Ten, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, respectively. He’d smiled at Jaehyun, inviting him over once he saw the older was alone. He already knew the other two. Ten was his housemate. He’d been dating Johnny for a bit more than a year already, so Jaehyun had seen him around the common room plenty of times. He got to know Jungwoo this time, chatting all through dinner, conversation flowing easily between the four of them. He found out that night that the first year was one of the nicest people he’d ever met; soft-spoken, listened when others talked, making sure everyone was included in the conversation. When he’d denied being a Ravenclaw, Jaehyun assumed he was a Hufflepuff; he fit the whole ‘nice and quiet’ image of the house, and he seemed to be really close with Johnny. _

_ What didn’t make sense was that, two days later, he’d bumped into Jungwoo again, this time early in the morning in the Slytherin common room, as the younger tried to properly tie his green tie, mumbling something under his breath. Jaehyun had stood frozen for a bit, not believing one second that the sweet boy he’d become friend with could be one of his housemates. _

_ \- _ You’re a Slytherin? _ he’d blurted without thinking. _

_ \- _ Yes _ , he’d said slowly, seeming to be a bit confused. _Congratulations on the great observational skills, I’m sure you must be proud. 

_ \- _No, but—Why?

_ \- _ Same reason as you? I was sorted here? Are you okay? _ Jungwoo asked, his voice laced with a mix of frustration and confusion. _

_ \- _ I am yeah I just—I thought you were a Hufflepuff. 

_ \- _Why the fuck would you think that?

_ \- _ Because you’re really nice and you’re friends with Johnny? _ now that Jaehyun thought about it, that really wasn’t much evidence. _

_ \- _Yeah, and I’m also friends with you and Ten. Also, you can be a Slytherin and be nice, it’s not incompatible. It’s way more useful, too. 

_ \- _What does that even mean?

_ \- _Listen, Jaehyun, I’m sorry I can’t walk you through your existential crisis right now, but I have class, and I really don’t want to be late. So, could this please wait until tonight or something? 

_ \- _Yeah, sure. Sorry I—

_ \- _ Great; see you later! _ the younger exclaimed with a smile. He walked away quickly. _

_ He couldn’t stop thinking about this new piece of information. He had way too many questions when he walked into the Great Hall for dinner that night. He almost turned back and walked away when he saw Ten sitting with Jungwoo at their usual spot, but his older friend had already pulled him down with a smug smile. Ten already knew everything, Jaehyun quickly understood, and he would never let him live this down. _

_ Everyone that night had teased Jaehyun as Jungwoo retold the events of their morning encounter, even Ten’s best friends Doyoung and Kun. He tried to ignore them as he finally got out the question that he’d been burning to ask ever since Jungwoo had said being nice was useful. _

_ \- _ Well, it’s simple, really. If you’re nice to people, they’re more likely to be nice in return and help you when you need it. For example, if I needed to know how to get someone from Gryffindor to help me with potions homework, there would be way more chances to actually get someone to help me if they’ve always seen me as nice and respectful. Being mean won’t get you anywhere in life, _ he stated with a shrug, like it was the most obvious thing in the world _. Also, it’s way too tiring to put up a mean front all the time, I have better things to do than waste my energy on something as dumb as that. 

_ And that was what finally convinced Jaehyun that Jungwoo was in fact a Slytherin. _

—————

Jisung sat in silence for a bit, thinking over what his friends had just told him. Having their opinions helped, it always did, but it was hard to shake off the mean comments he’d gotten. 

\- _ What are you thinking about? _ Doyoung asked him after a while.

\- _ What if the Sorting Hat really was wrong? What if I’m in Gryffindor because of a mistake? _

\- _ Jisung, you’ll spend years here in Hogwarts. You’ll change and evolve along the way. The Sorting Hat doesn’t only judge who you are, it also judges who you can be. You might feel like it’s a mistake, or like you don’t fit the typical Gryffindor profile, but that doesn’t mean you’ll always feel like this, _ Johnny said softly. _ Most of us had doubts at some point, and it’s okay. But I don’t think you should worry too much about it. I have no doubts about the fact that you’re in the right house. _

\- _ But you guys all seem so sure of yourselves. You had to know immediately you were in the right house, right? _ Jisung asked, still clearly not convinced by the older’s speech.

\- _ We seem sure of ourselves. _ Seem _ being the keyword _ , Jaehyun explained. _ It’s easy to pretend you’re confident, like you have everything figured out, but that doesn’t mean it’s actually true. _

\- _ How do you stop doubting yourself, then? _ The younger asked.

\- Y_ ou get your friends and maybe your boyfriend to reassure you and remind you that you’re valid, _ Jungwoo said with a smile. 

\- _ Being friends with people from other houses helped me realize that I wouldn’t fit there as well _ . _ I’m in Slytherin for a reason _, his boyfriend added. 

The younger members of their friend group hadn’t been there to witness how torn up he’d been at first. Not even Jungwoo had, being a year younger. By the time they became friends, he had already come to terms with his house. 

————— 

_ Being sorted into Slytherin had been the biggest surprise of 11-year-old Jaehyun’s life. He didn’t come from a line of Slytherins at all. His brother had been a Gryffindor. So had his parents and his grandparents before that. Naturally, he’d expected the same. But his expectations had been shattered when the Sorting Hat had yelled ‘Slytherin’, the word loud and clear in the quiet hall. He’d frozen for a few seconds before he was gently pushed towards his housemates, tumbling to sit on a bench between two green-clad second-years. _

_ One had immediately introduced himself as Ten, sticking out a hand with a bright smile. The two were fast friends by the end of the evening, and Jaehyun had felt a bit more at ease The feeling hadn’t lasted long, however. The doubt and shame rushed back first thing the next morning when he got a letter from home. _

_ He could tell how excited his parents were just from their words. They had no doubts about their youngest son following the family tradition, already picturing him sporting the red and gold of their house. He frowned as he read the whole thing, already getting a headache as he brainstormed ways to break the news. _

_ \- _ What’s got you frowning like that? _ Ten cut through Jaehyun’s thoughts. _

_ \- _ My parents wrote_. He kept frowning at the letter. _

_ \- _ And that upsets you because? 

_ \- _ They think I’m a Gryffindor. I don’t know how to tell them that I’m not one of them. They’ll be disappointed, _ Jaehyun stabbed his scrambled eggs with his fork. _

_ \- _Leave your breakfast alone, it didn’t do anything. And you don’t have to write back right away. It’s your first day of school, I’m sure they’ll understand if you tell them you were too busy to answer today. 

_ \- _Sure, but I’m still not in Gryffindor. I should be, everyone in my family was. 

_ \- _ Just because they were doesn’t mean you have to. I’m sure the Hat put you with us for good reason _ , Ten said with finality, patting his shoulder reassuringly. _

_ It took him three whole days to muster the courage to write back. He’d spent hours trying to figure out how to explain that he wasn’t following in his family’s footsteps. To say that he was dreading the answer was an understatement. He almost expected a howler to be dropped on his plate in the next few days. Nothing came. It might have been worse, he wasn’t entirely sure. _

_ When the answer came, his parents and brother all congratulated him and asked about his dorm, his common room and his housemates. It felt like a weight lifted from his shoulders. Ten couldn’t help but laugh at his relieved sigh, ‘I told you so’ on the tip of his tongue. _

_ It took a lot more for Jaehyun to finally truly feel like he belonged to his house. He befriended a few Gryffindors from his classes, and had talked about his doubts and his insecurities to his brother. He’d spent hours comparing himself to his friends, trying to see what was so different about him. Eventually he’d realized that what he’d thought was determination, one of the main Gryffindor traits, was ambition. That where his brother had been determined to do his best to achieve his goals, Jaehyun’s goals were to be the best he could be, to always strive for something bigger and better. _

_ Surprisingly, talking to Kun, one of Ten’s best friends, had helped him the most. The older boy was a Ravenclaw, and had friends from all houses, which gave him the insight and objectivity to help Jaehyun work through his feelings and realize that he’d mistaken a lot of traits as Gryffindor when they actually weren’t. He’d settled down by the end of the semester, slowly getting rid of his insecurities and unnecessary doubt, giving way to a wave of pride. He was proud of the house he’d been sorted into. Proud to wear the green and silver of Slytherin. _

————— 

\- _ Jisung, maybe you should get a therapy session with Kun _, Donghyuck joked. 

\- _ I’d be glad to help, but sometimes talking to the people in your own house helps, too _, Kun said from where he sat with Chenle’s head on his lap and Doyoung next to him. 

\- _ How? _ The youngest asked, brows furrowed. He’d relaxed as Jaehyun had shared about his first months at school.

\- _ Well, for example, I know that making friends with other Slytherins helped me feel secure in my house, because spending time with them made me see how similar we were _, Jungwoo explained.

-_ Yeah, I agree. It took me dating one of my housemates to realize just how similar to other Slytherins I am _, Jaehyun laughed.

\- _ Again, young you was so dumb _ , Ten teased. _ I don’t even know how Woo put up with you at first. _

\- _ I’m offended, I wasn’t that bad! _

\- _ You should be offended, you kind of were _, Doyoung answered with a smile. 

They kept bickering for a bit, Ten and Doyoung enjoying teasing their friend way too much to let it go. The others laughed at whatever nonsense they spouted, enjoying it more than they probably should. 

This went on for a bit before they calmed down and moved to a more peaceful topic, again brought up by Jisung. The younger had cut into the argument without really meaning to, wondering about how Jaehyun and Jungwoo had gotten together. 

————— 

_ Going to watch the Quidditch games had been a tradition for their group for years. They went to almost every game, and always made sure to support the teams their friends played in. It wasn’t rare to see them clad in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff colors to cheer on Doyoung or Johnny. They were a loud bunch, but it always increased tenfold during games. _

_ This time wasn’t an exception. Only Doyoung was playing. Ravenclaw was up against Gryffindor, so Johnny sat in the stands with them. Ten sat beside him, holding his hand while whispering animatedly with Donghyuck, both throwing knowing smiles in Jungwoo and Jaehyun’s direction once in a while. It was a sign they were up to no good, but even Kun had failed to break them apart The rest had decided to ignore them and hope for the best. _

_ The rest of the afternoon stayed pretty uneventful after that _ — _ or as uneventful as a Quidditch game could be. It had been a tough game, tied for most of it until Eunwoo, Ravenclaw’s seeker had raised a triumphant fist wrapped around the Snitch. _

_ Nothing could be heard over the roar of the students cheering for the winning team. Some already rushed out of the stands to wait for the players near their changing room. Ten was one of them. He dragged Johnny and Kun by the sleeve towards the exit, mouthing something to them with a big smile; probably already planning a way to celebrate. _

_ Jaehyun was about to follow their remaining friends more slowly, when a hand grabbed his wrist. Jungwoo smiled at him, small and soft, pointing the opposite direction. He barely had to ask; Jaehyun nodded, agreeing to follow him anywhere. _

_ They ended up sitting together under a tree. They’d been quiet the whole way over. Jungwoo had seemed lost in his own thoughts. Jaehyun hadn’t wanted to disturb him. It was nice to be alone for once. It had been a while. _

_ \- _ I need to ask you something _ . Jungwoo turned to face Jaehyun, looking right at him. _

_ \- _Yeah?

_ \- _Next time we’re allowed to go to Hogsmeade, do you want to go get some butterbeer or some coffee? Just you and I.

_ \- _ Are you asking me on a date? _ Jaehyun asked, surprised by the question, but not unwelcoming it. _

_ \- _ I am. Are you saying yes? _ The younger asked hopefully. _

_ \- _ Yeah. I am, yeah.

\- Cool. 

_ And that was it. It was enough, at least for now. They slowly walked back to the castle, both sporting matching smiles. _

_ The next weekend, they had their first date. The first of many. _


End file.
